Journalists to Protest Polish Media Law in Brussels on January 13

Journalists and media employees would gather outside the Polish Embassy in Brussels on Wendesday to protest against new media law, adopted by Warsaw, according to the Belgian Association of Professional Journalists.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Journalists will participate on Wednesday in a show of solidarity in front of the Polish Embassy in Brussels to support Poland's media after Warsaw adopted a new law placing broadcasters under the direct control of the country’s government, the Belgian Association of Professional Journalists said.

The Association said in a statement, released on Monday, that journalists and media employees would gather outside the embassy at 10:30 am Brussels time (9:30 GMT).

The media law, signed by Polish President Andrzej Duda on Thursday, gives the new government led by the eurosceptic Law and Justice party the power to appoint the heads of public TV and radio stations, as well as civil service directors. It was introduced in late December 2015 as part of new measures to strengthen the government’s control over the media at home and establish a national media system.

According to the International Federation of Journalists, the new law undermines the basic freedom of the press and removes guarantees of editorial independence.

EU leaders and press freedom defenders widely oppose the new Polish media law, while journalists and media staff, including those working outside Poland, have demanded that it be revoked immediately.